


Mismatched Enthusiasm

by nicolai



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 08:44:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6045259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicolai/pseuds/nicolai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko's furious, Mai's tired, but it's just a misunderstanding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mismatched Enthusiasm

“Zuko, come on, don’t be mad,” Mai sighed, lifting her bored gaze to her lover, who was pacing angrily across the room, clad only in the pants he’d hastily pulled on, “Come back to bed.”

“No! I can’t believe you said that, Mai!” Zuko shouted, pushing his touseled hair back out of his face.

“All I said was that I didn’t know how you got so into everything,” she rubbed a hand over her eyes and settled back on the pillows; Zuko was her favorite person to be around, certainly, but he could be so tiring, both with what she’d been talking about and his reaction to the comment.

“Yeah! How could you say that to me?!” he felt betrayed and angry, it bothered him enough that he never felt sure about how she felt, or even if she felt, but for her to so directly call into question her enjoyment of their time together- that wounded him deeply. 

“Because I don’t understand it? You just have so much energy… It’s impressive, really,” she gave a small smile, hoping to soothe him.

That response was slightly reassuring, but not enough to stop his ranting, “Of course you don’t! You’re just a machine, you don’t have any heart, you don’t care about me at all, do you? Admit it!”

Mai rolled her eyes, “Of course I care about you!” she insisted, laughing at the absurdity, “Don’t be ridiculous. I just, I don’t know, don’t show it the same way. If I didn’t want to be with you, I wouldn’t be. You know that. I don’t have energy to waste on relationships I don’t want.”

“So, what? You’re just saying you’re not into what we do together? You don’t want to sleep with me?!” Zuko switched focus, returning to the more specific implications of her statement.

“Oh please,” Mail laughed again, “I even suggest it at least half the time. I don’t even get bored by it. And that’s an accomplishment, believe me,” she smiled, meeting Zuko’s eyes, “You’re just getting upset over the fact we’re different people, Zuko. Calm down.”

Her compliments soothed him, though not entirely, and he returned to the bed, perching on the edge of it. Not for the first time he wished his Uncle Iroh were still close by, he’d love to be able to ask him about this. 

“I’ll never understand you,” Zuko sighed, feeling his anger dying down to the ever present simmer within, “But okay.”   
Mai was relieved when he didn’t move away when she put her arms around him and leaned against his shoulder. She knew he had strong feelings, about most everything, but she really didn’t understand why he’d make such a fuss about simple mismatched enthusiasm. It was alright though, he was her Zuko, after all- she’d hardly expect anything else.


End file.
